A political row erupted last night after counter-terrorism police arrested the shadow Home Office minister, Damian Green, after he published leaked documents allegedly sent to the Tories by a government whistleblower.
An angry David Cameron condemned the arrest as "Stalinesque", after Green was taken into custody at about 1.50pm in his Ashford constituency and escorted to a central London police station.
At around 11pm, as the Tories accused the authorities of a "perverse sense of priorities" for using counter-terrorism officers to arrest an MP while terrorists attacked Mumbai, Green was released on unconditional bail to return at a date in February for further questioning.
A "tired and angry" Green said early this morning: "I was astonished to have spent more than nine hours under arrest for doing my job. I emphatically deny that I have done anything wrong. I have many times made public information that the government wanted to keep secret, information that the public has a right to know.
"In a democracy, opposition politicians have a duty to hold the government to account. I was elected to the House of Commons precisely to do that and I certainly intend to continue doing so."
Green's defiant statement came at the end of a day in which nine counter-terrorism officers conducted simultaneous searches at four locations: Green's constituency office and home in Ashford, Kent, his office in the House of Commons and his London home.
The MP was arrested under common law for "aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in public office".
The police action followed the arrest 10 days ago of a government whistleblower who allegedly leaked four documents to Green, who then passed them to the press. Cameron was convinced that such a move would have to be approved at top political levels. A Tory source said: "David Cameron is angry. This is Stalinesque."
Labour sources indicated that neither the prime minister nor the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, knew about the arrest. Gordon Brown only learned of it around three hours later. Sources said it was "preposterous" to suggest that ministers would have approved the arrest.
The Metropolitan police denied any ministerial involvement.
Cameron and the London mayor, Boris Johnson, were informed that Green would be arrested. Johnson reportedly asked Sir Paul Stephenson, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police, whether he was sure that he needed to arrest Green, who could have been questioned.
George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, told the BBC: "I think it is extraordinary that the police have taken that decision. It has long been the case in our democracy that MPs have received information from civil servants. To hide information from the public is wrong."
